I’m of 2 minds regarding this article from CareerJournal.com – Is Your Style the Right Fit For the Job You Are After? We always encourage companies to assess candidates even if it is only for communication style. Although hiring based on communication style is the least predictive approach of assessment-based hiring, it is still far superior to gut-level hiring.
When looking for or accepting a new assignment, matching or adapting your personal style to the needs of the position can mean the difference between success and failure.
Well, that is an easy concept for which to write, but a difficult action to implement. Rarely is there a position that requires a specific style to be successful. Instead, it is better to look at the candidate’s style and discuss how they will prefer to attack the job. This is a myopic view to hiring, but still better than nothing.
Adapting communication styles takes energy from the person doing it. For example asking a high C to adapt to a high I is a tremendous adaptation. The energy exerted in this adaptation cannot be maintained for extended periods of time – maybe for 30 to 90 days tops. The employees who perform best are the ones who understand their style and use it appropriately in their position. If their style is completely unsuitable to the position (infrequently true), there is no way to adapt their style for an extended period. The employee will revert to their natural style once the stress of the position ratchets up.